All three sets of eyes look in my direction, and if there were a hole I could crawl into to hide myself from them, I would. But since my life has been one shitshow after another, coming clean with what happened between Stone and me doesn’t seem all that bad. I mean, let’s be real. In the grand scheme of things, Stone doing a hit and run on me last Friday night is pretty goddamn mild compared to the shit I’ve done this past year.
“I know your heart is in the right place, but I think this is more of a guy thing,” I explain, my last attempt to avoid this awkward-as-fuck conversation.
“Well, you’re in luck. You’ve got two guys right here,” she beams at my two best friends, nudging Easton’s shoulder with her own. “But something tells me you’ll do better with a woman’s point of view than one of these guys. A certain tattooed girl with vibrant, black and blue hair giving you a hard time, is she?” she singsongs with stars in her eyes.
My jaw falls flat on the table. Not only is Kennedy intuitive as fuck, but she also might be a goddamn witch.
“How did you know?”
She leans back into the leather cushion with an all-knowing smile splaying her lips, looking pleased for nailing my current predicament right on the head.
“Oh, come on, Finn. Did you honestly expect to keep it a secret for long? I mean, Richfield’s star quarterback cannot be seen trailing after a girl from the Southside for over two weeks without setting tongues wagging all over town. You two have started quite a stir, I tell you.”
“Shit,” I mumble.
I don’t like the idea of being the center of gossip, and I know for a fact that Stone is going to fucking hate it, too. It’s just something else to add to her cons’ list where I’m concerned.
“So, what’s going on with you two?” Kennedy continues, cupping her chin with her hands and gazing at me like one of the rom-coms she loves to binge-watch on Netflix.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I confess exasperatedly, making her brows furrow together at witnessing my frustration.
“Okay. How about you use your words and explain why you’re in such a sullen mood? Baby steps, Finn. You can do this,” she insists patiently.
“Fine. Whatever. You’ll bust my balls one way or another.”
“I think our boy is finally getting it,” East jokes, leaning into the table right alongside Kennedy so he doesn’t miss a second of my humiliation.
I look at Linc, and he’s just as attentive.
Curious fuckers, the lot of them.
Guess I’ve got to bite the bullet, or they’ll never leave me alone. But fuck, this is going to be a hard one to live with once I come clean.
“So, have you ever been with someone, and uh… had an incredible night together, uh… had mind-blowing sex, and then two minutes afterward, they’re, uh… they’re ready to bounce like it never happened?”
“You mean hit it and quit it like you usually do, motherfucker?” Easton teases with a laugh.
I flip him off again while Kennedy jams her elbow in his gut.
“Ouch.”
“Stop being a dick and answer him, East. Can’t you see Finn’s really torn up about it?” she pleads, which makes me feel like shit because I must look really fucking bad for Kennedy to be coming to my defense.
“Why can’t Linc answer him? He gets around just as much as I do,” East defends, tilting his chin in Lincoln’s direction while holding his stomach to prevent her from hitting him again.
Even though Kennedy doesn’t waver her sights from my dark-haired friend, I don’t miss how she flinched with Easton’s statement. And I doubt Lincoln did either.
“Kennedy asked you to do it, asshole. So talk,” Lincoln orders, not exactly ecstatic about East throwing him under the bus to save his own hide.
“Whatever,” he mumbles, and then pretends to take a minute to really think about it. “So, I’ve had some clingers. I’ve definitely had some seconds. I also had my share of one-nighters, but never one who was ready to hit the road after only one fuck. You sure you rocked her world, man? You do know your hands aren’t just for throwing around a football, right?” he goads, wiggling his fingers in my face.
“First of all, fuck you. Of course I know how to use my goddamn hands. And second of all, I know when a girl is faking and when she’s not. And Stone was definitely not faking.”
“Had a lot of experience with girls faking it, have you?” he jokes, gaining a muffled chuckle from Linc at my side.
“Again, fuck off!” I seethe through my teeth at him, but the fucker just laughs away at my misery. “I knew this was a bad idea,” I groan, slumping in my seat, pushing the plate of muffins away.
These assholes have managed to take away my appetite, and that’s saying something. I’m a big guy, so I’m always down for a snack. These idiots just ruined any craving for sugar I could have had.
Assholes.
“Will you two stop?” Kennedy reprimands, grabbing my clenched hands in hers. “Don’t pay attention to these two fools. You said you and Stone had a good time together, right? So perhaps she was in a hurry because she had something to do the next day. Or maybe she was tired because you wore her out, big guy.” She tries desperately to soften the blow on my ego.
“She did say she had to work,” I mumble, still unconvinced.
“See? She was just being responsible. Don’t take it so personally. You both had fun. That’s what you should be focusing on.”
“I guess.”
Shit, I think I might even be pouting. The fuck is wrong with me? Am I becoming a pussy all of a sudden? I’m looking down at my crotch and see that all my male parts are still intact, but it sure feels like my balls have taken a leave of absence along with my dick, leaving me high and dry on this one.
Kennedy tilts her head to the side, taking a long, hard look at me and asks, “You like her, huh?”
I feel my forehead wrinkle and my nose twitch at the question, but before I’m able to organize my thoughts and give Kennedy an honest answer, Easton interjects in my stead, “It’s not like that, Ken, so don’t you go off and start planning a double wedding just yet. Finn here just got his ego hurt instead of stroked. That’s all this is.”
“I don’t think so,” she sings.
“You’re wrong,” he deadpans.
“I’m right.”
“Not on this one, Ken.”
“God, you’re infuriating.”
“Is East right? Is that all?” Lincoln hushes beside me while Kennedy and East continue to bicker with each other.
I turn to face Linc, and although his features seem carefree and bright, beneath his ocean-blue eyes I see a storm brewing—one provoked by fear and regret. He knows, as well as I do, the threat looming above us. Stone is only a target for The Society. Nothing more, nothing less. For all our sakes, it will pay me well to remember that.
I give him a curt nod, which seems to lighten the weight of the boulder on his shoulders, even if just by a little bit. His instant relief throws rocks into the pit of my stomach, making my insides twist and coil at the unexpected assault.